SOS...need wiring help
12-15-2017, 07:04 PM
#1
SOS...need wiring help
When car is running
When lights are turned on
Wires not connected from wiring loom
How marker light is connected
Hi everyone, hope someone can help me out with this electrical gremlin.
Got all my lights working but I think there is something not correctly connected because I get a “stop lamp” light on the dash when I start the car on and then a second “tail lamp” light joins in when I turn the lights on.
My car was missing the retractable factory antennae when I bought it. I also plug welded the hole before it got painted and decided to use only the roof mounted antennae.
When it came time to connect the driver’s side marker light on the quarter panel there was one set of wires connected to the marker bulb plug with tape that went with a connector going through the trunk area to connect to the loom and not to the pigtail plug from the left tail lamp (the tail lamp is new). When I connected it to the loom plug the marker light wouldn’t work. So I cut the connector and connected the wires to the pigtail of the tail light - as it is btw, on the passenger side and of course the marker then worked.
In the factory wiring diagram I noticed the antennae - I’m assuming its the red, connects to the marker light wire - so I connected the red wire together with the marker while the car is running and the lights are on and the “tail lamp” light goes off but the “stop light” stays on.
Am I connecting something wrong or is my warning system malfunctioning???
Got all my lights working but I think there is something not correctly connected because I get a “stop lamp” light on the dash when I start the car on and then a second “tail lamp” light joins in when I turn the lights on.
My car was missing the retractable factory antennae when I bought it. I also plug welded the hole before it got painted and decided to use only the roof mounted antennae.
When it came time to connect the driver’s side marker light on the quarter panel there was one set of wires connected to the marker bulb plug with tape that went with a connector going through the trunk area to connect to the loom and not to the pigtail plug from the left tail lamp (the tail lamp is new). When I connected it to the loom plug the marker light wouldn’t work. So I cut the connector and connected the wires to the pigtail of the tail light - as it is btw, on the passenger side and of course the marker then worked.
In the factory wiring diagram I noticed the antennae - I’m assuming its the red, connects to the marker light wire - so I connected the red wire together with the marker while the car is running and the lights are on and the “tail lamp” light goes off but the “stop light” stays on.
Am I connecting something wrong or is my warning system malfunctioning???
12-15-2017, 07:32 PM
#2
Chronic Tool Dropper
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Tommy --
WHAT YEAR IS YOUR CAR?
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The "stop lamp" warning comes on when the engine is started, stays on until you push the brake pedal and the brake lights work correctly. Looks for sufficient current flow through the whole circuit before the warning is extinguished. That's the intended operation. You don't mention whether the "stop lamp" warning goes out with the brake pedal press. Remember that the high-mount center stop lamp is part of the circuit.
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There's a bulb-check unit that monitors the flow of current to the various individual rear lamps. The system is generally sensitive enough to set a warning if you have the wrong bulbs installed if they draw different amounts of current from the originals. If all the bulbs are working but the warning is still set, stupid stuff like "common" parts-store bulbs, corrosion in sockets or connectors, broken wires, short-circuits, poor grounds, blown fuses and dirty fuse-holders are all possible causes.
WHAT YEAR IS YOUR CAR?
---
The "stop lamp" warning comes on when the engine is started, stays on until you push the brake pedal and the brake lights work correctly. Looks for sufficient current flow through the whole circuit before the warning is extinguished. That's the intended operation. You don't mention whether the "stop lamp" warning goes out with the brake pedal press. Remember that the high-mount center stop lamp is part of the circuit.
---
There's a bulb-check unit that monitors the flow of current to the various individual rear lamps. The system is generally sensitive enough to set a warning if you have the wrong bulbs installed if they draw different amounts of current from the originals. If all the bulbs are working but the warning is still set, stupid stuff like "common" parts-store bulbs, corrosion in sockets or connectors, broken wires, short-circuits, poor grounds, blown fuses and dirty fuse-holders are all possible causes.
12-15-2017, 08:21 PM
#4
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Have seen similar pegging of the temp gauge. Mine was caused by a poor earth on the pod connections, such that side lights on found earth/ground out through the temp gauge. On early cars (yours is ??)the right hand pod connector has 3 pins all supplying ground, and the blades in the connector (that contact the printed circuit traces) are soft, easily bent, eg by probing with meter pins. I cleaned the blades and re-tensioned them with a small jewellers driver - problem fixed. If temp gauge moves when you turn on lights, suspect a ground problem.
jp 83 Euro S AT 57k
jp 83 Euro S AT 57k
12-16-2017, 09:45 AM
#5
Thx Bob. You were right about the brake light going out after you press the pedal...I’ve been restoring this car for 7 years and haven’t been able to take it out. Just finishing the interior and will go out this week.
The other tail lamp light still stays on though. I checked all the tail lamp bulbs and they were the right wattage. Don’t know if the marker lights are all right, will check them now. A little more work because I might have to take the inner fender shields out.
The reference to the temp gauge sure makes sense because it is going hi wire to the over heating position as soon as I turn the car on. And the connector is loose. Thanks for that advice.
be back soon with updates.
tom
The other tail lamp light still stays on though. I checked all the tail lamp bulbs and they were the right wattage. Don’t know if the marker lights are all right, will check them now. A little more work because I might have to take the inner fender shields out.
The reference to the temp gauge sure makes sense because it is going hi wire to the over heating position as soon as I turn the car on. And the connector is loose. Thanks for that advice.
be back soon with updates.
tom
12-16-2017, 11:38 AM
#6
Electron Wrangler
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Just replace all the tail light bulbs with matched sets of the correct wattage (cheap) . The bulbs need to be the same, if some have been replaced separately or just through ageing they may be too different for the side to side comparison check.
Alan
Alan
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12-16-2017, 01:09 PM
#8
Chronic Tool Dropper
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Remember that corrosion in the sockets, connectors and ground points for the lamps will trigger that warning. The bulb-check unit monitors current flow to the lamps, so any extra resistance anywhere on a bulb circuit will trigger a warning due to lower current flow. Water-induced corrosion in the bulb connectors is very common, as are less-than-perfect ground points. One of our most-respected 928 guys, Wally Plumley, put together an "annual electrical maintenance" protocol that includes cleaning the ground points. The workshop manual includes a location diagram in 3D space that will guide you to all of them. Disassemble the bolt and the eye terminals, and use a soft brass detailer's toothbrush to clear oxidation and dirt from each terminal, the bolt and washer, and the metal they are going in to. Some folks add a little DeOxit spray treatment to the cleaning process. I add a little Vaseline over the assembled and tightened connections and the wire ends to continue a little protection from the elements. Regardless, many owners report that cleaning and restoring grounds solves a slew of mysterious odd symptoms they see, so it moves close to the top of my list of recommended things to do when odd symptoms are reported.
12-16-2017, 01:19 PM
#9
Archive Gatekeeper
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Here's a PDF copy of Wally's Annual Electrical Maintenance protocol, shamelessly copied from somewhere in the archives. Hopefully it's ok to reproduce it here.
https://webfiles.uci.edu/redwards/pu...%20Plumley.pdf
https://webfiles.uci.edu/redwards/pu...%20Plumley.pdf
